1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of predicting the estrus and the delivery date of a cow, a swine, a horse or the like and discovering diseases of the cow, the swine, the horse or the like through functions such as an estrus predicting function, a delivery date predicting function and a disease discovering function for the cow, the swine, the horse or the like by analysis of values from an attachable vibrograph attached to a leg portion, a neck portion, a chin portion or the like of the cow, the swine, the horse or the like to obtain frequency value information, such as vibrations, walking states and non-walking states, due to the excitement of the cow, the swine, the horse or the like caused by estrus. The obtained frequency value information is transmitted, input and stored into a centralized computer such as a personal computer in units of hours, and the stored frequency value information is converted to the numerical values to be analyzed. The present invention also relates to an attachable apparatus for predicting estrus and d livery dates and discovering diseases, which is used for such method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional methods of predicting the estrus and the delivery dates of cows, swine, horses or the like as well as methods of discovering diseases of cows, swine, horses or the like have often depended on the intuition of breeders or made it necessary to ask diagnosis of expert veterinarians or inseminators, so that these methods have been inefficient and often too late. Recently, a method has been adopted which is used only in dairy for the purpose of detecting the estrus of a cow by reading the number of steps taken by a cow through a sensor attached to the gate of a milking parlor when the cow is guided to the milking parlor. However, this method has the disadvantages that a large-sized apparatus is needed and that the total number of steps taken by a cow from one milking period until the next milking period can only be counted and no accurate time of starting of estrus can be obtained, so that no high conception rate can be achieved. It has, therefore, been necessary to ameliorate these disadvantages. In addition, since only dairy cows pass through the gate, it has been impossible to discover the estrus of other kinds of cows such as Japanese cows, Holstein cows and breeding cows.
In foreign countries, when the milk temperature of a cow lowers from an usual temperature of approximately 39° C. during milking, it is determined that the cow is in estrus, and preparation for insemination is started. However, because this decision is made on the basis of the time when the milk temperature begins lowering, the cow may not be able to be inseminated before it is too late.